The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-05-06
IMPRISONED MINERS.
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY MEN
Hedgsd In tho Vancouver Coal Mine by Firo
with Little Hopes Of being Rescued Alive. u
Sad Scenes at the Mouth OF tho Pit.
Tho Noble Work Of the Rcscusrs.

l - -~.~
NASAIMo, B. O., May 5.-Over one.hall
the miners employed at the Vancouver
coal mine, where tho explosion occurred
yesterday, have families. The dead are
VIM. Davis, John Linn, John Smith, Wm.
Craven, Frederick Wsiterson. Samuel
Hudson, Of Wellington, who formed one
Of the resculng party, died from the effects
Of the aiter.damp. Seven Cinnamon were
also brought up dead. The injured are !:
George Davis, John Jones, J. Stove, sr.,
John Lynch and Jules Michael.
Richard Gibson, the overman Of the
mine, miraculously escaped with few
cuts about the face. 5.l' N9i
As nearly as can be ascsrtained now
there are Imprisoned In the mine twenty.
nine men in No. l, level, 90 in tho new
nlopsi twelve on No. s level, and twenty.
five on No. 8 level. These are all white
men Of different nationalities. There ore,
besides, between 80 and rs Cinnamon In
the mine.
It Is feared that all the imprisoned
miners, who number about 12O, will per-
ish Of suflocstion.
Jules Michael, one Of the injured, stated
thR. he Was sitting In a cabbiu at supper.
in No. 2 shalt, when he felt the con.
cuasion. All scrambled out. Only one
was saved oil his four companions, whose
dead bodies came up in the cage with him.
Several .hsrdly appreciated their escape.
owing to tho dszsd feeling which charac.
terizsd all who came out from the deadly
pit. Michael representa- the explosion as
terrific, and says all became darkness 15O
feet from the entrance to the shaft i'm
mediately after he came out. s'
John Lynch was badly injured about
the face and hands and had his hip frsc-
tured, and has been in delirium since
the explosion, his talk being Of work in
the pit. It Is thought he will not recover
owing to his having inhaled gas. !. :
Samuel Hudson's death Is unaccounts-
BILE. He was miner Of great experience,
while those who went down with him to
rescue their friends were comparatively
inexperienced. He died from the effects
Of the after-damp. His brave deeds were
among the bright things in the carnival OF
misery. '5s *. !.
Gangs Of men have been endeayorinp
to extinguish the flame in No. l shaft
and these are believed now to be under
control. The Merliweather steam Gre
engine did good work pumping water
from the harbor down the air shaft. A
hand Gre engine has been taken down in
to the mine, where it is fighting the fire.
THE NINE BURNING.
It is absolutely impossible to think Of
getting at the imprisoned men till the fire
is subdued, for if more air were sent in it
would force the gas into the fire and
cause eecond disaster. Even now fears
are entertained that the whole place will
be blown up, and old miners eay such
result is possible. II 30, the catastrophe
would be the greatest recorded in the
history Of coal mining. ~
All that can be done is being done to
reach the imprisoned men. The rescuers
thought first of cuttiDg a ditch to salt
water go as to attempt to put out the FIRE
in the No. 2 shalt by turning stream Of
water into it, but the scheme was aban.
doned as 1t would only food the mine.
rendering it practically useless for year.
and would Danish any hope Of saving the
lives Of the men. The fmogene Serene
mines extend out from the shore more
than mile below the waters of the har.
Dor. Many OF the dead are fathers and
sons Of eighty families Of this little CITY.
! Around the shaft the scenes are harrow
ing in the extreme. ~ ~
MI. Ryden and Mr.. Scott, OF the We'll
lington mines, went down at the eminent
risk of their lives in an endeavor to make
an Investigation as to the manner of pro.
cedure. Mr.. Chandler, OF the Wellington
mine, has been indefatigable in his efforts
to assist in the work Of rescue, Doctors
are in attendance rendering all the sssis-
tance in their power. A black pail hangs
over the city. The business houses are
closed, and collieries are shut up and the
entire population gathered
= NARROWING scENEs, 81
Terror.stricken wives and children and
sorrowing fathers hover in the vicinity
and mourn their terrible afllction. The
imprisoned miners were all old settlers,
1t is almost impossible that any can have
survived, though many have hope,
People do not yet begin to realize the
extent of the calamity. The cause
Of the explosion is OF course unknown,
1t is generally supposed to be an
explosion Of coal dust, similar to that in
the Queen Of the Pacific. 1t was THOUGHT
this morning that the fire in the air shsit
has been extinguished, and that small
body. Of fame exists between tho air and
main shafts, which may be conquered.
when an attempt will be made to brino
air in and begin the work OF rescue. ~
A late shift that came up reported hear.
ing pick sticking on the opposite side of
the wall. There is feeling that where
there is life there is hone. hnt that hnno